Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods is the largest chicken, beef, and pork processor and marketer in the world. As of September 30, 2017 Tyson Foods has ~122,000 employees world wide. Tyson Foods was founded in 1931 by John W. Tyson in Springdale, Arkansas.

​Tyson Foods is the largest chicken, beef, and pork processor and marketer in the world. Tyson Foods was founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson in Springdale, Arkansas. As of September 30, 2017 Tyson Foods has ~122,000 employees world wide. Approximately ~117,000 in the United States, and ~5000 around the world (primarily in China).

History

​Tyson Foods began in 1935 after John W. Tyson moved to Springdale, Arkansas looking for better opportunities. Tyson began raising chickens and selling them to surrounding markets in the Midwest, and the company Tyson Foods is born. Tyson Foods kept growing over the next decade, setting up new poultry businesses in Cincinnati, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; and Cleveland, Ohio. A chick shortage for Tyson Foods lead to the creation of their own hatcheries and chicken feed businesses. ​

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​​During World War II the United States put wartime rations on beef and began to subsidize poultry production. These subsidizes were good for Tyson Foods and lead to the company securing its position as a dominant poultry producer and processing company in the United States. They used their profits from this time to invest in vertical integration. These investments lead Tyson Foods to gain control over the majority of their business needs. Everything from feeding their chickens, growing their chicken, and distributing their chickens to the market.​

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​During the post World War II period the poultry industry was under a lot of pressure from the post-war economy and from a chicken disease out break. Tyson Foods began buying up surrounding poultry producers to mitigate their risk of bankruptcy and from being bought out by larger companies.​ In 1957, Tyson Foods officially controlled each step of its operations after the completion of its first chicken processing plant in Springdale, Arkansas. ​

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​​In April 1963 Tyson Foods went public selling 100,000 shares at 10.50. Shortly after in 1967, the founder of Tyson Foods John W. Tyson and his wife died in a car crash. ​After the death of John W. Tyson, his son Don Tyson took over the company, and successfully grew the company over the next 30 years to become one of the leading producers of meat in the world. ​​

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​1982 was an important year for Tyson Foods. They were put on the Fortune 500 list for the first time and signed major contracts with McDonalds to supply them with chicken nuggets. ​​The company kept growing, and by 2002 they had become the second largest publicly traded food company in the United States after acquiring several new companies including Holly Farms (1988), Hudson Foods (1997), and Iowa Beef Producers (2002). ​​​

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​​In the fiscal year of 2006, Tyson Foods posted a loss of $196 million. Resulting in John Tyson (the son of Don Tyson) resigning as CEO and being replaced by Richard Bond. ​​

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Tyson Food locations

​Tyson Food factories are primarily located in the Midwest and Southern regions of the United states. ​

State

Town/city

Type

Alabama

Albertville

Chicken

Alabama

Blountsville

Chicken

Arkansas

Pine Bluff

Chicken

Arkansas

Clarksville

River Valley Animal Foods

Arkansas

Fayetteville

Prepared foods

Arkansas

Grannis

Chicken

Arkansas

Green Forest

Chicken

Arkansas

Hope

Chicken

Arkansas

Nashville

Chicken

Arkansas

North Little Rock

Chicken

Arkansas

Dardanelle

Chicken

Arkansas

Russelville

Chicken

Arkansas

Scranton

River Valley Animal Foods

Arkansas

Springdale

Tyson Foods headquarters; Chicken

Arkansas

Texarkana

Chicken

Arkansas

Van Buren

Chicken

Arkansas

Waldron

Chicken

Arkansas

Berryville

Chicken

Arkansas

Clarksville

Chicken

Georgia

Cumming

Chicken

Georgia

Buena Vista-Dawson-Vienna

Chicken

Illinois

Joslin

Beef

Illinois

Chicago

Prepared foods; Further processed beef

Indiana

Logansport

Pork

Indiana

Portland

Prepared foods

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Tyson Food brands

​Tyson food has many different brands under its name. Each can be found below: ​

Tyson

Jimmy Dear

Hillshire farms

Hillshire snacking

Ball Park

Tyson Tastemakers

Aidells

Golden Island

State Fair

Nature Raised Farms

Sara Lee

Wright Brand

Boscos

Gallo Salame

Bonici

The Bruss Company

Chairman's Reserve Beef

IBP

Lady Aster

Open Prairie

Star Ranch Angus

Supreme Tender Pork

Wunderbar

Advance Pierre Foods

Barber Foods

Big AZ

Fast Fixin

Hot'n'Ready

Jamwich

Landshire

Russer

Steakeze

Original Philly

Bryan

True Chews

Top Chews

Nudges

River Valley Animal Foods

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Timeline

Tyson Foods acquires Iowa Beef Producers (IBP)

​In 2002 Tyson Foods buys IPB and becomes the second largest public American food company. ​

Tyson Foods announces it buy Hudson Foods for $642.4 million

​After Hudson Foods recalled 25 million pounds of hamburgers, Tyson Foods announced they will buy out Hudson Foods for $642.4 million. ​

Tyson Foods purchases Holly farms for $1.4 billion

Holly Farms is bought buy Tyson Foods for $1.4 billion.

Tyson Foods make the Fortune 500 list

Tyson foods was ​put on the Fortune 500 list for the first time and signed major contracts with McDonalds to supply them with chicken nuggets.

Founder of Tyson Foods, John W. Tyson, dies in a car crash

​In 1967, John W. Tyson and his wife die in a car crash. ​

Tyson Foods goes public

​In April, 1963 Tyson Foods became a publicly traded company and sold 100,000 shares at $10.50. ​

Tyson Foods builds first chicken processing plant

​In 1957, Tyson Foods officially controlled each step of its operations after the completion of its first chicken processing plant in Springdale, Arkansas. ​

World War II begins and US government subsidizes poultry production

​​During World War II the United States put wartime rations on beef and began subsidizing poultry production. This was good news for Tyson Foods and lead the company to securing its position as a dominant poultry producer and processing company in the United States. ​​

Founding of Tyson Foods

​Tyson Foods was founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson in Springdale, Arkansas.